Towboat and system of towage.



J. S. LANE & J. L. MATEEWS. TOW BOAT AND SYSTEM OP TOWAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.9, 1907.

Patented May 18, 1909.

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attirer serios.

UNEF@ L. MATHEWS, OF BILLERICA,

TOWBOAT AND SYSTEM'. OF TOWAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 1S, 1909.

Serial No. 396,632.

Application filed October 9, 1907.

from side to side, by holding lines adjustable To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that we, JULius S. LANE and in length, run from the towboat to the tow dorm L. Meri-ruwe, respectively of Brookor to the beam so as to control the direction lyn, in the count of Kings and State of of the towboat in relation to the center line New York, and of Billerica, in the county of of tow. Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have Figure l represents a plan view of a fleet or naft of barges to which is connected a towboat constructed in accordance with our invention, and used in connection with a bow auxiliary. Fig. 2 represents a similar view on an enlarged scale, of the aft end of the manthe raft and the towboat, showing certain new and useful improve- T owboats and Systems of Towage, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention consists in a nove construction of towboat or propelling unit andmeans for attachingI the same to a eet,

invented ments in raft or gang composed ofanumber of barges, ner in which the boat is made fast to the scows or the like, securely lashed together, gane. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional and so arranged that the towboat may be view, showing the construction of the pivinclined at an angie to the gang or eet, oted pushing beam and the manner in which whereby to push or pull transversely upon the same is attached to the boat. Fig. l repthe gang to swing the same around bends in l resents the bow of an ordinary tug boat our system. FiO'. 5 represents when used by g of the principle illustrated in a waterway, and control the fleet more efa modification iiciently than is possible by present methods. The towboats at present used for propel- Figs. 1 and 2. ling large tows upon winding rivers are pro- The same reference characters indicate vided with wide blunt bows and usually the same parts in all the gures.

made rigidly fast to the after end of a large Referring to the drawingsffl represents gang or raft compose of' barges. Suc barges, scows or other boats capable of car- 80 towboats are prevented by the blunt bows rying cargo, which are secured together so and the manner in which they are made fast, as t0 form a continuous gang or raft cafrom turning with respect to the tow. Conpable of being propelled and turned as a sequently, they can only steer the tow around unit. .To the stern of this raft is secured a bends by a cumbersome process known as towboat Q. Between the hull of the boat flanking, which consists in working the and the gang is a pushinO beai'n 3, which towboat around until it is on the olf shore has a wide surface adapted to bear against side of the iieet, and then backing up and l the aft end of the raft so as to apply the pulling off shore. ln this process, a great power o the tcwboat over a wide area. deal of time is consumed as the tow at such This beam is pivotally connected with the times 'is not ,actually progressing as ast as bow of the towboat so as to lie entirely orthe current of the river, and much power ward of the hull. lt is constructed of metal and fuel are used to hold back, which might framing, consi tingof a front vertical plate otherwise have been used to push the tow e: on which is mounted a facing of wooden ahead. timbers 5 and horizontal plates G rigidly se- 95 By our invention we claim to facilitate cured to the front plate by means of angle the maneuvering of large tows so that the irons. it the center of each of tiie horipower of the towboat may be used in pushzontal plates is secured a tongue or lug ing ahead at the same time that it turns the which yprojects between a pair of ears 8 on tow around bends. For this purpose, the the bow of the towboat. There are as many towboat is provided either with a pointed pairs of ears on tie oat as there are lugs, bow protected with a rope fender or cushion and these ears are arranged in vertical alineon the stein and so lashed to the tow that nient, being ored so as to receive a pivot the bow cannot move sidewise, or preferably pin 9, the tongue 7 also being bored for the we use a ushing beam at that end which is same purpose. attached to the tow, which is capa e of at- Upon the upper end of the pivot pin are tachnient to a gang of barges in a way siinimounted sheaves or pulleys 1.0 and 11 which lar to that in which the towboats are conserve as guides for the lines 12 and 13, by nected under the present system, and is pivwhich the towboat is made fast to the tow.

55 oted so as to ena le the towboat to be swung These lines pass from capstans 14 partly 110 and led around boat to a diifereither line may around the sheaves forwai'd and laterally to pointsnear the sides of the Heet, where they may be made fast to bitts 15 on the outermost barges of the fleet. The pushing' beam is alsormade fast by lines 16 and 17, and prevented from shifting laterally when l powei'is applied transversely by the diagl to the ends of the beam 3 guides near the end of the ential winch 240, by which be paid oif and the other taken up at a rate such as will keep them both taut.-

be understood that a towboat embodying the principles of our inventionmay the forward end at the aft end. A

onal lines. 18 and stern of the towboat two lines of the latter as well as *rom thev 20 and 21 extend to bitts 22 and 23 on the l toivboat equipped for such attachment ma aft and outermost boats of the fleet to which have its eam pivoted to the stern instead of Lney are made fast. The location of the fasto the bow. not er words, the invention is tening points foi these lines is such as to not limited to a boat' having a pivoted beam give the greatest possible diveroeiice to the at the bow, but includes one which mayhave l lines. The inboard enus of t e lines are the beam at either end or both ends.

passed around wiiiches 24 and 25 whereb e claim :-1 theirV lengths may be varied As siown b 1. In combination with a barge or Heet or dotted lines'in F ig'. 1, by slackeninv' otf line gang' of connected boats, a propelling boat, and takino up on line 21, the stern of the a transverse beaml pivoted to the end of the 20 tow oat may e swung to the right, while propelling boat and detachably fastenedto by reversing this procedure, the towboat tie barge or Heet, and securing lines passing may be swung inV the opposite direction. from the propelling' boat around the pivot Thus'the towboat -as a whole may be swung of sai beam to points of attachment in the from side to side, whereby its force may be barg'eor fleet.

v25 applied either pushing or pulling in diagf 2. propelling boat having' at an end a onal or oblique lines so that the rear end of pivot pin, and a beam having' a transverse the gang may quickly be swung from side pushing surfaceconnected to said pivot and to side. If desired, an additional propelling adapted to be detachably connected with anunit, such as the pontoon 26 shown in Fig. ot er boat or gang of boats.V

1, may be employed This pontoon is roln connection with arpropelling boat, vided with a motor and propeller arranged a pushing beam pivoted to the oat at one to eaeit foi ce in the direction of its lenoth end thereof and having an extended surface and is made fast transversely aci oss the foradapted to beai' 'against a boat or gang of ward end of the gang. ower generated b boats, being' manipulated by the propelling the tcwboat is transmitted by any approved boat. Y method so as to drive the propelling screws 4. A propelling boat having at an end a therein, and is controlled by the pilot of the xei tical series of pairs of ears, a transvei se towboat either directly or by signal. Thus cam liavino tonoues arranged in vertical y driving the additional propeller in the seiies entering each pairv of ears,.and apivot 40 cesired direction a lateral impulse to either pin passiiigthiough said ears and tongues,

si e may be given to the forward end of wiereby the beam is secured or hinged so the gang at the same time that the towboat as to be capable o swingino transversely is pushing or pu ling' transversely at the aft 5. A propelling boat having at Vits end a end thereof. i vertical series of pairs of ears, a transverse Fig. 1 represents one manner of adapting beam having' vertically arranged tongues en` our system of towboat control to a tugtering' each pair of ears, a pivot pin passing oat,vlackin r the pivoted beam Here a -through said ears and tongues, whereby the rope fender 27 is interposed between the eani is secured so as to be capable of swin'- ow of the tug' and the tow ines 28 29 ing transversely, and pulleys mounted on from the tu@ to the tow prevent the bow of the pivot pin to receive and guide lines he tug irom shifting sidewise, and lines 30 maliino fast the propelling boat to a tow in rom distant points on the sides of the tow suci wise as to permit relative swingiiio passing' bitts Slon the tow neai the bow of movement without displacing or appretie tug and onto winches 32, serve to conciably altering the length of thev lines.

neet the tuoF and tow, either for pushing or 6. propelling boat having at. its end a pulling. lhe aft end of the tug may be pivot, and a beam attached to the pivot with swung' at an angle to the fore and aft line its ends extending laterally in each direc` of the tow by the rudder of the tu@ and b tion theiefiom so as to swing thereon, said lines 2O 21 from t e stern of the tug to the 'eam having' a bearing' surface for detachsides of the tow. able engagement with another boat or gang 4ig'. 5 shows a modification in which, inof boats. V stead of guiding lines 20 and 21 passino 7. In combination with a tow, a propelfrom the stern of the towboat to widel ling boat secured thereto with provision for sepaiated points on the tow, there are subswinging laterally, linesY passing from both 'stituted lines 200Yand 211 made fast adjacent sides of the towboat to separated pointsV atmiddle and tapering toward the ends, to which the inbozird ends of the lines are made fast, whereby they ine-y be taken in and y paid ont at varying rates as their inclinal tions with respect to the tow Vary.

t 1n testimony whereof we have affixed our y signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

JULUS S. LANE. JOHN L. MATHEVVS.

itnesses:

A. C. RATIGAN, P W. PEZZETTE. 

